That which is honest and virtuous, is vile and contemptible 1to him whose body and sensual part is dear to him, says Seneca. I remember Lactantius brings in a Heathen scorning at the ways of Christians in this manner, thinking Christians to be fools, when they see they should endure such things, and yet they would be Christians; says he, Scorn us, contemn us, 2and despise us, we know our foolishness profits us, let us alone with our foolishness, we do not envy your wisdom: We do not care though you count us fools, so you disturb us not in our way. True wisdom, says he, lies hid there, where there is the title of folly; for God with affliction, and with the name of folly, doth hide the beauty of godliness from the eyes of men; but this is the only wisdom, to know God, to worship God, to be Religious; and for this, says the same Author, with the greatest voice that I can speak, I testify and proclaim, and denounce, That this is the greatest wisdom. Let us be established in 3this, that it is the only wisdom to choose the ways of God upon any terms, let come what will come, let all sorrows and afflictions to the outward man come that possibly can come, this is the absolute wisdom, and this, says he, is my opinion and judgement, it is that I am throughly convinced of, and shall for ever rest, and be settled in.
That which is honest and vertuous, is vile and contemptible 1to him whose body and sensual part is dear to him, says Seneca. I remember Lactantius brings in a Heathen scorning at the ways of Christians in this maner, thinking Christians to be fools, when they see they should endure such things, and yet they would be Christians; says he, Scorn us, contemn us, 2and despise us, we know our foolishness profits us, let us alone with our foolishness, we do not envy your wisdom: We do not care though you count us fools, so you disturb us not in our way. True wisdom, says he, lies hid there, where there is the title of folly; for God with affliction, and with the name of folly, doth hide the beauty of godliness from the eyes of men; but this is the onely wisdom, to know God, to worship God, to be Religious; and for this, says the same Author, with the greatest voyce that I can speak, I testifie and proclaim, and denounce, That this is the greatest wisdom. Let us be established in 3this, that it is the onely wisdom to choose the ways of God upon any terms, let come what will come, let all sorrows and afflictions to the outward man come that possibly can come, this is the absolute wisdom, and this, says he, is my opinion and judgement, it is that I am throughly convinced of, and shall for ever rest, and be setled in.
- 1Honestum ei vile est evi corpus nimis carum est. Sen. ep. 4.Honestum ei vile est eui corpus nimis carum est. Sen. ep. 4.
- 2Contemnite, ridete, si libet; nobis enim stultitia nostra prodest, non invid emus sapientiae vestrae hanc stultitiam malumus, hanc amplectimur. Lact. lib. 5. c. 12.
- 3Illic potissimum esse quaerendum ubi stultitiae titulus apparet cujus velamento Deus thesaurum sapientiae & veritatis abscondit. Lact. lib. 4. c. 2. Omnis sapientia hominis in hoc uno est ut Deum cognoscat & colat, hoc nostrum dogma, hoec sententia est; quanta itaquae voce possum, testificor, proclamo, denuntio. Lact. lib. 4. c. 30.
